Weekenders
Posted by Michele | Filed under Accessories, Art, Bed and Bath, Flooring, Furniture, Interior Design, Lighting, Weekenders, What's New
Dave is off on a little sabatical so I’m taking over on Weekenders. My mind set this week will be focused on sophistication for miscellaneous interior design products and art. You won’t find these in the 99 Cents stores. They are a few steps above in quality.
Home Portfolio - This is one of the best sites I’ve seen for search engines on interior and exterior design solutions. Nice layout as well.
Boyd Lighting - Following that link above I found this lighting manufacturer. Very sophisticated.
Sharon Courtney - For the pianist or opera singer, this mixed media of photography and art is terrific.
Bodum Drinkware - For the hot summers coming up, chill your heat away with this line of double wall glassware.
Debage - This is not my cup of tea but if you want to be a Queen for the Day, the bedding is right out of the Rococco period. Not great for hot flashes, I presume.
John Prince - Plays croquet and paints! Very talented man!
Gus Modern - For those who love the lean modern furnishings, this is simply that.
Giving Tree - The most luxurious linens around. Wow! I’d love to feel what 1020 count sheets feel like. Just might have to save up my pennies.
Green Feet - Save the earth! Bamboo Disposable plates and utensils. Group your table setting with the tumblers above from Bodium and you’ll have great conversation pieces for your next outdoor party.
Wilshire Garden - Time to replace the mailbox. How about a copper one?
Happy shopping and have a great weekend!
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Warm Your Feet and Your Home With Wood
Posted by Michele | Filed under Flooring
Over the last few years wood floors have made a huge comeback. Wood is classic and stylistically will withstand time much longer than any tile. Here in Orange County the push came when the Tuscany style came popping up all over.
I’ve always loved wood over any other surface because of it’s ability to warm up a room. I want to eventually replace the travertine in our desert home throughout with a rich dark wood. I loved the tile at first, but it’s very hard on the feet, and I walk around with no shoes a lot. My poor arches can’t take much more abuse. Wood has more give. We installed wood in our Mission Viejo home and I definitely feel the difference.
So what makes a great wood floor? Solid wood is the best in my opinion, but there are many grades of wood including laminates that do the job just fine. Some of the wood types too check out:
- White Oak
- Hickory
- Red Oak
- Douglas Fir
- Walnut
- Cherry
- Ash
- Alder
- Eastern White Pine
- Reclaimed Southern Yellow Pine, Antique Heart Pine and Red/White Oak
The higher amount of actual wood in the board (most laminates are mixed with fillers like plastics or compounds) suggests a higher grade of flooring. The percentage of mixed mediums of wood, synthetics and glues would also suggest a certain value in choosing a wood. I happen to have a real wood laminate (not a pergo) in my home and it has a lovely look. I would have loved to put in a more distressed wood but it was a bit pricey for our budget. But, it looks very nice and most people comment of how pretty the floors are. Like this particular flooring from Richard Marshall. It is truly a work of art.
It is best to gain knowledge through an expert in your area. I highly suggest a mom and pop store where that is all they deal with rather than a huge chain. They will have more time to show you the products and how to take care of them as well.
hahaha...